Let’s face it, unless they already know your company’s name, local buyers of your product or service can’t possibly find you when they are searching for what you do online. Even if you have a web site.

This is a big problem because thousands of local buyers are searching for immediate solutions to their needs everyday on their computers, smartphones and tablet devices.

They’re not finding you so they’re buying from your competitors, costing you thousands in sales every month.

Here’s what you will learn:

How search engines work.

What you’re actually seeing when looking at search results.

And how Google decides whether your site or your competitor’s site is going to appear on the first page.

Then Frank shows you the difference between what you see on a web page versus what Google sees and how that determines who ends up on page one.

Frank talks about the powerful opportunities available when you focus your search optimization efforts on local buyers.

And he does a number of live search demonstrations which prove his techniques work.

Frank Felker of The Customer Factory Named Authorized Local Expert in Washington, DC area by Leading Online Marketing Company

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Frank Felker Selected as Constant Contact Authorized Local Expert

Old Town Alexandria marketing expert to help small businesses and non-profits apply the power of online marketing to grow their organizations.

ALEXANDRIA, VA December 11, 2012

Frank Felker, Founder and President of The Customer Factory, has been selected as an Authorized Local Expert by Constant Contact®, Inc., the trusted marketing advisor to more than half a million small organizations worldwide.

As an Authorized Local Expert, Felker will offer training seminars on best practices in online marketing in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

“We are thrilled to have Frank Felker as part of the Authorized Local Experts program,” said Catherine Kniker, Vice President of Local Success at Constant Contact.

I’m very pleased to announce that Patch.com has asked me to be a panelist discussing online marketing success for small businesses at their inaugural Main Street U Summit, here in Old Town Alexandria, next Thursday November 7, 2012 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – and that I can get you into the event at no charge!

Patch.com is a nationwide company with a hyper-local focus. They are basically the online equivalent of the old neighborhood newspaper. From an advertising standpoint, their sole purpose is to connect local consumers with local businesses, which means their business model is directly in alignment with mine.

I have written previously about my positive feelings regarding Patch.com and how I believe every local business should consider adding them to their marketing mix.

In addition to their advertising and content sharing capabilities, Patch.com is also a powerful Local SEO platform. I frequently come across their listings on the front page of local Google search results for a variety of vertical industries.

Daily Deal sites can be a very powerful marketing medium for some businesses.

They can also be an utter disaster if the merchant hasn’t fully thought through his strategy and tactics for handling the rush and converting the maximum number of one-time customers into long-term clients; sources of ongoing repeat and referral business.

Have you ever wondered why Google has put so much time, money and promotional effort into Android, the smart phone operating system that they give away for free?

Unlike Apple with its iPhone, Google doesn’t sell smart phone hardware, though they will, once their Motorola purchase closes. There is no way they can profit directly from the sale of Android-powered phones. So what’s all the fuss about?

The fuss has to do with the unique relationship we humans have with our smart phones. We love them. We interact with them constantly, texting, surfing, mailing, playing, paying, watching, listening and, occasionally, calling. When we’re not slobbering all over them we’re sure to always keep them close at hand – even when we’re asleep.

From a marketer’s perspective there has never been a medium like the smart phone to communicate your messages through.

Every June, Apple holds their World Wide Developers’ Conference in San Francisco. In years past the focus was entirely on their Macintosh personal computer line, the Mac operating system and software being developed for it.

In more recent years the focus has been almost entirely on the iPhone and the apps being developed for it. This year both platforms were featured, as was an interesting melding of the two.

As a long-time Apple customer (1985) and follower of all things related to online marketing and commerce for small business owners, I watched the video of the WWDC Keynote Address with great interest and came away much more impressed than many members of the tech press seem to be.

Unlike many other observers, I believe that this year’s WWDC represents a watershed moment in online interaction and marketing that will impact small business for many years to come.

The primary complaint most mainstream tech reporters have expressed regarding the varied announcements at this year’s WWDC is that none of the “innovations” represented anything new. They were all ideas that had been around for years. Ideas like cloud storage of data, syncing mobile phones over the air, an online PC software marketplace and so forth.

The video below is an interview with Cory Doctorow, a successful science fiction writer and popular blogger, in which he shares what he believes is the single most important factor in writing a good blog post – write like a wire reporter. Cory explains very clearly what that means shortly into the video.

At the end of the video he also uses the expression “it’s the attention economy stupid” and recommends that you treat your readers’ attention with respect and not try to fool them into thinking your article is something it is not.

It’s okay if they surf away this time if they’re not interested in this topic. Just let them know very quickly whether this article is right for them and they’ll respect your consideration next time.

I’ve just returned from an interesting short seminar entitled Optimizing Your Local Online Presence presented by some local Patch.com reps at Connect113 in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.

I am familiar with local Internet marketing techniques but was only tangentially aware of Patch.com which is kind of like a combination of an old-fashioned local newspaper with a new-fangled online community and business directory.

I’m not going to give a long treatise on the vagaries of Patch.com. Instead I encourage you to do five things:

Spend some time browsing the web site to get a feel for what it’s all about

Become a member of your local Patch in your company’s name

Create or Claim and Optimize your company’s listing on Patch

Subscribe to their daily newsletter

Post comments and reviews in your company’s name

I don’t think your Patch.com listing will be as important or beneficial as say your Google Places listing. But I am convinced that this is a critical local online community that you need to be an active part of.

Over the course of my life and career, I have been witness to a number of technological revolutions. Based on my experience, Social Media cannot be ignored by any business as a critical marketing and brand communication channel. It is here to stay. Until the next thing comes along.

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Need A Business Speaker? Frank Has Presented To Thousands Nationwide.

The Customer Factory provides marketing training, classes, seminars, workshops, courses and classes to small business owners in the United States, Canada, Central America,South America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. We offer online marketing training, live marketing training and small business marketing consulting.